WriteMyResume.ca

I’m a straight shooter with my clients. I want them to know
the facts, so each of them is best prepared to navigate the out of control
world of work. Why do I use the phrase “out of control” to describe working? Because
I believe that there are more factors out of your control over the course of
your career, than things that are within your control. Let’s look at the three
ways people get new jobs.

1.
Luck

·
About 1% of people find their new jobs because
of dumb luck. They didn’t have a single thought, take a single action, or do
anything to get their new job, it just dropped into their lap… like it always
drops into their lap… because the universe just seems to help this person more
than the rest of us. You’re allowed to secretly hate this person. I do. LOL!
This person is also the one who complains about winning the lottery… for the
third time… because they don’t know what to do with the money.

2.
Networking

·
The stats indicate that 33% of people find jobs through
networking. These people actively reach out to their friends, family and work connections
and tell them that they are looking for work. Yes, you read it right- they find
the courage to say, “I’m looking for a new job… this is what I do… I’m darn
good at it… and if you have an opening or if you know somebody who is looking
for a great person like me… I’m ready, willing and moiré than able! Call me!
Here’s my contact information”. They send emails to their network with their
resume attached. They go to events where their professionals hang out. The
phrase, “It’s who you know”… this is why that phrase has legs.

3.
The Job Application Process

·
So this is how most of us find our next job. We
have to go through a process where there are more things against us, than for
us. You don’t really know the company. You have no idea who your competition
is. You don’t know the names of the people evaluating your application, and
further, you don’t even know their little idiosyncrasies so you can tailor your
resume to their likes and avoid their dislikes. I could go, but you get my point.
It’s hard, It’s not fait. It stinks. And it’s going to take time.

So I know you don’t want to hear this, but here I go:

Getting work… is hard
work and it takes a lot of work.

I can help. I can give you a template to how you should
spend your day (and maybe your night) when you have to go through the job
application process.

Years ago, I began one of my business presentations with
this statement: “A resume does not get you a job.” The room of professionals
looked at me like I was an idiot.

While I did get their attention, it was probably not the
attention I should have tried to get. I was immediately on the defensive, and I
spent the next hour trying to restore the trust that I had immediately broken.
As I write these words, I feel as if I’m reliving that moment all over again. Why?
Because I feel the same way about the resume as I did then… but my opinion has
grown even stronger.

A resume does not get
you a job!

Yes, I said it. I’ll say it again: a resume does not get you
a job. A resume is supposed to get you an interview. A job offer and an
interview are two very different things. If you write your resume trying to get
an offer, then you will never get an interview; and let’s face facts, if you do
not get an interview, that means that your resume was sorted into the “no pile”-
aka the career graveyard.

So what’s the difference between writing a resume for an
interview versus writing a resume for a job offer? Simply put- resumes written
for interviews focus on the position requirements… and resumes written for job
offers focus on the individual person.

Aren’t I Supposed to Show How Special I am as an Individual?

·
No! 100% of your resume should be focused on the
job, not you. The employer is looking for a “best fit”. The employer does not
want someone special at this stage of the competition. The employer is not
looking for an individual. The employer is looking for (a) a profession on
paper who is the same type of job title as the job he/ she is trying to fill,
and (b) someone who fully meets the requirements of the job. If that profession is evaluated on paper, then
that piece of paper goes into the “yes” pile. You get to be an individual at
the interview stage. That’s when you dazzle the employer with how special you
are.

What Do You Mean by “Position Requirements”?

·
A job requires education, experience, and skills
(i.e. job requirements). When an employer is hiring to fill a position, then
he/ she advertises the title and the requirements… and hopes that a whole bunch
of “qualified” people apply. Simply out, a job requires x, y and z, and he/ she
is then evaluating resumes to see if a person has x, y and z. Remember, if your
resume does not clearly and easily show that you have x, y and z…. then you
will be going into the “no” pile. Employers do not hire potential. Employers
hire “best fit”- which means that resume “checks the boxes” in terms of meeting
the requirements of the job.

How am I Supposed to Stand Out from the Competition?

·
This is where you have to trust me that if you
focus on writing a resume that clearly and effectively shows that you meet the
x, y and z of the job… you will stand out from the competition!!! 95% of
resumes that I evaluated in my career either (a) were so muddy with unclear
information that it was impossible to assess, or (b) showed so much individuality
that the person eliminated themselves from meeting the job requirements. Your
resume is meant to get an interview! You get an interview when you meet the requirements
of the job. The resume is all about the job. If you make your resume about you…
you muddy the waters. Keep your resume focused on the job and only the job.

Did I convince you? I hope so. But if I didn’t, I get the
only true test of a resume is if when you apply to a job, you get a phone call
for an interview. If you are reading this article, I’m betting that your phone
stays silent more than it rings. And if you’ve gotten this far in the article,
maybe its time to turn your resume into a “job profile” versus a marketing tool
of your unique skill set. Make the employer have to call you because you check
every box that the job requires!!! Then use that old resume you created as a
great study tool to help you prepare for the interview- which is the perfect
time to show your individuality, your uniqueness, and your value to the
employer.

If you’d like a free evaluation of your current resume, email
it to me at writemyresume23@gmail.com.
Take care, happy job hunting, and may I wish you every success in your career.

Since I started writing resumes, I’ve been asked this
question over a thousand times. I’ve had it asked to me from students all the
way up to CEO’s. I’ve been asked this question in many different ways, shapes
and sizes; but no matter the exact words, the question boils down to this:

Is it true that a
resume should only be two pages in length?

The answer… drum roll please… FALSE! It is absolutely
okay if a resume is less than two pages just as it is okay to have a resume
that is more than two pages.

I’m not sure who came up with the arbitrary “two-page
maximum resume writing rule”, but you see that advice littered across the internet.
Some resume writers even put the fear of God into people advising people that “if
your resume is more than two pages, recruiters won’t even read it”. That’s such
baloney. You want to know why it’s okay to break this stupid rule?

Quality Over Quantity

1.
Great resumes ensure “quality” of information (versus
restricting yourself to “a certain amount of pages”). Imagine telling J.K.
Rowling, “We’ll publish the next Harry Potter book, but it can only be 200
pages”. I think it’s a good bet that she’d find a new publisher. Quality of
information in a resume means “placing all the necessary words that will fully support
and strengthen your profession”. If all the words add up to one page, break
that stupid rule! If all your words become three pages, break that stupid rule!

All Does Not Mean Everything and Anything

2.
In point #1, I wrote: “…placing all the necessary words…”. All is a reminder to not forget OR delete
something that matters. I had a client once who told me she had a degree in economics.
I asked her why it wasn’t in her original resume. She told me that because she
didn’t have room to include it. (Plus, she added, the degree was from so long
ago, it probably wasn’t relevant anymore.) This client was applying for
Business Management positions! Yes, a degree in Economics matters! Yes, break
that stupid rule because employers need to know your expertise- all of it! What’s
also true, is that if you have taken over twenty courses of professional development,
it would be very wise to only include the Top Five courses that best support
and strengthen your profession. Writing a resume is about finding that “balance
of quality”… all the words that matter to enhancing the quality of your
application… but not all the words that may distract the reader from evaluating
the main requirements necessary to get an interview.

Answer the Job Ad

3.
In my fifteen years as a Human Resources Recruiter,
I have never, and I repeat never, thrown a resume in the garbage because it is
more than two pages. Finding the best person for the job was my job- and it was
just unprofessional and unethical to overlook a person because of the length of
his/ her resume. What I did was this: if the information in a person’s resume
met the stated requirements of the job, I brought the person in for an interview.
I get why that stupid two-page rule is popular… it’s because the more
information to read… the harder it is to find the “information that matters”. I
tell my clients that “there is so much info here that you’ve created so many
haystacks and have hidden all of your great knowledge and skill needles”. Don’t
hide your quality! Answer the job ad with your resume by ensuring that you
clearly and easily inform the reader that you meet the qualifications of the
job. If you can do this in one-page, break that stupid rule! If you need three
pages, break that stupid rule! If you need ten pages- I’d tell you that you
should probably edit it because now you’re just getting silly.

A resume is about quality, balance and targeting the job in
question. After you’re written your first draft, use some common sense!
Evaluate it as if you are the hiring manager. Does it clearly tell the reader
who you are? Does it capture interest? Does the information make sense or have
you muddied the waters? Are you yawning by page four?

In the end, do not let the stupid, two-page maximum rule
limit you. Your job when seeking employment is to begin the process with a
document that tells someone (a) your profession, and (b) all the information
that the profession requires to do the job.

If you’d like a free evaluation of your current resume, email
it to me at writemyresume23@gmail.com.
Take care, happy job hunting, and may I wish you every success in your career.

My name is Mark Karpinka. I’m the Founder of AlbertaResumeWriter.ca and WriteMyResume.ca. My background is in Human Resources Management. My job then was to find, evaluate and hire great people for companies. My job now is to use my HR expertise to write you a targeted resume that enhances your chances of getting an interview.

That’s right, my friends, you can hire your very own HR Professional to help you write your resume, cover letter or even practice your interviewing! When you hire the Alberta Resume Writer, I promise you that I’ll do everything I can to enhance your chances of landing your dream job.

Email me at writemyresume23@gmail.com or call at 587-745-0823. As a thank you for reaching out to me, I’ll provide you with a FREE evaluation of your current resume.